Weekly Spotlight on Literary Events: July 17-July 23

Ella Leya – The Orphan Sky

Friday, July 17 at 7 p.m.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse

5015 Connecticut Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20008

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/ella-leya-orphan-sky

Author Ella Leya will be at Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse to discuss her first novel, The Orphan Sky.

Busboys and Poets Bookclub in Shirlington

Saturday, July 18 from 9-11 a.m.

Busboys and Poets (Shirlington location)

4251 South Campbell Avenue

Arlington, VA 22206

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/busboys-and-poets-book-club-in-shirlington5146

The Busboys and Poets Shirlington location will be hosting their monthly bookclub. This month the bookclub will be discussing Erasure by Percival Everett.

Youth Open Mic presented by Busboys and Poets

Saturday, July 18 from 5-7 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (5^th and K location)

1025 5^th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/youth-open-mic-presented-by-busboys-and-poets5271

The Youth Open Mic is a monthly youth-focused and youth-led series featuring student writers, musicians, or actors from the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. This event is presented by Busboys and Poets in partnership with D.C. Youth Slam Team and Split this Rock. Hosted by members of D.C. Youth Slam Team and coach Jonathan B. Tucker. $5 cover charge.

Joanna Rakof – My Salinger Year

Saturday, July 18 at 6 p.m.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse

5015 Connecticut Ave. NW,

Washington, D.C. 20008

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/joanna-rakoff-my-salinger-year

Join author Joanna Rakof at Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse for a conversation about her new novel, My Salinger Year.

Lauren Acampora and Emily Mitchell, Reading

Sunday, July 19 from 2-4 p.m.

The Writer’s Center

 4508 Walsh Street

Bethesda, MD 20815

http://www.writer.org/page.aspx?pid=299&cid=1&ceid=1647&cerid=0&cdt=7%2f19%2f2015

The Writer’s Center hosts a weekly reading each Sunday. This week, author Lauren Acampora will read from her collection of stories, The Wonder Garden, and author Emily Mitchell will read from her new collection, Viral. The reading will be followed with a reception and book signing. Free admission.

The Joaquin Miller Poetry Series, Grace Cavalieri & Valerie Nieman

Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m.

Rock Creek Nature Center

5200 Glover Road, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20015

http://wordworksbooks.org/miller_cabin.html#schedule

Poet and novelist Valerie Nieman and poet Grace Cavalieri will be reading at the Joaquin Miller Poetry Series this week. Sign up for open reading begins at 2:45 pm.

Sunday Kind of Love Open Mic Poetry

Sunday, July 19 from 5-7:00 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (14^th and V Location)

2021 14^th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/sunday-kind-of-love-open-mic-poetry3827

The Sunday Kind of Love Open Mic Poetry is hosted on the 3^rd Sunday of every month at the Busboys and Poets 14^th and V location. The program includes two featured poets followed by an open mic segment. $5 cover charge.

Benjamin Markovits

Sunday, July 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)

235 Carroll St NW

Washington, D.C. 20012

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/benjamin-markovits

Author Benjamin Markovits will be at the Busboys and Poets Takoma location to discuss his seventh novel, You Don’t Have to Live Like This. Markovits will be conversing with Time magazine editor and writer Amy Sullivan.

Revisiting To Kill a Mockingbird: Evening Program

Monday, July 20 at 6:45 p.m.

The Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20560

http://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=231821&utm_source=CAGW&utm_medium=OAnonSI&utm_content=cagwEVMay2015&utm_campaign=CAGW&tmssource=206718

Despite the popularity of her 1960 novel, Harper Lee chose to stay out of the limelight. In this program, her biographer Charles J. Shields will be discussing Harper Lee and her famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Tickets for this event are $20-$25.

Gary Hart – The Republic of Conscience

Monday, July 20 at 7 p.m.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse

5015 Connecticut Ave. NW,

Washington, D.C. 20008

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/gary-hart-republic-of-conscience

Gary Hart, author of The Republic of Conscience, will be at Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse to discuss his book and political theory.

Monday Night Open Mic hosted by Mary Bowman

Monday, July 20 from 8-10 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Shirlington location)

4251 South Campbell Avenue

Arlington, VA 22206

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/monday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-mary-bowman3211

Busboys and Poets Shirlington location’s weekly Monday night open mic features two hours of entertainment from rookie and professional performers alike. This week's open mic will be hosted by performer Mary Bowman. $5 cover charge. 

Monday Night Open Mic hosted by Ayanna Gallant

Monday, July 20 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Brookland location)

625 Monroe St NE

Washington, D.C. 20017

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/monday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-ayanna-gallant2922

Busboys and Poets Brookland location’s weekly Monday night open mic invites local poets and performers to take the stage for a night of entertainment hosted by musician, poet, and educator Ayanna Gallant. $5 cover charge.

826DC Modern Mythology Writing Class

Tuesday, July 21 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Upshur Street Books

827 Upshur St NW,

Washington, D.C. 20011

http://826dc.org/Summer2015

826 hosts a series of summer events throughout the community. This week’s workshop, Modern Mythology, is located at Upshur Street Books. Students will write their own imaginative myth stories.

Philip Brookman – Redland

Tuesday, July 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)

235 Carroll St NW

Washington, D.C. 20012

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/philip-brookman-redlands

Poltics & Prose at Busboys and Poets Takoma location presents a discuss with author Philip Brookman about his new book Redland. Brookman will be conversing with journalist, poet, and novelist Henry Allen.

Nadia Hashimi – When the Moon is Low

Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse

5015 Connecticut Ave. NW,

Washington, D.C. 20008

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/nadia-hashimi-when-moon-low

Nadia Hashimi, author of When the Moon is Low, will be at Poltics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse to discuss her second novel.

The Inner Loop XV

Tuesday, July 21 from 7:30-10:00 p.m.

Johnny Pistolas

2333 18^th Street NW,

Washington, D.C. 20009

https://www.facebook.com/events/1135170049832392/

Johnny Pistolas will host the Inner Loop post-retreat summer reading event featuring readings by Kelly Ann Jacobson, Mike Madden, JD Smith, Marlena Chertock, Meg Eden Kuyatt, Nicole Tong, Lisa Jordan Woodfield, Elizabeth Weinberg, and Aaron Brown.

Tuesday Night Open Mic hosted by Drew Anderson

Tuesday, July 21 from 9-11:00 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (14^th and V location)

2021 14^th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/tuesday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-drew-anderson1081

Busboys and Poets 14^th and V location’s Tuesday open mic invites locals to come out for a night of performance and entertainment. This week’s open mic will be hosted by Drew Anderson. $5 cover charge.

Tuesday Night Open Mic hosted by Patrick Washington

Tuesday, July 21 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)

235 Carroll St NW

Washington, D.C. 20012

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/tuesday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-patrick-washington2881

Takoma’s Busboys and Poets hosts a weekly Tuesday Night Open Mic. This week’s will be led by poet and spoken word performer Patrick Washington. $5 cover charge.

The Creole Affair: The Slave Rebellion that Led the U.S. and Great Britain to the Brink of War

Wednesday, July 22 at 12 p.m.

National Archives

Constitution Avenue, NW, between 7^th and 9^th Streets

Washington, D.C. 20408

http://www.archivesfoundation.org/event/creole-affair-slave-rebellion-led-u-s-great-britain-brink-war/

Author Arthur Downey will be at the National Archives to dicuss his book The Creole Affair: The Slave Rebellion that Led the U.S. and Great Britain to the Brink of War, which looks at the successful slave rebellion that took place aboard the slave ship the Creole in 1841. The program will be followed with a book signing. Free admission.

Michael Shuman – Local Economy Solution

Wednesday, July 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (14^th and V location)

2021 14^th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/michael-shuman-local-economy-solution

Politics & Prose at Busboys and Poets 14^th and V location presents a discussion with author Michael Shuman on his tenth book, The Local Economy Solution.

Wednesday Night Open Mic hosted by Dwayne B.

Wednesday, July 22 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (5^th and K location)

1025 5^th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/wednesday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-dwayne-b4908

Busboys and Poets 5^th and K location presents the weekly Wednesday Night Open Mic. This week will be hosted by poet, activist, break-dancer, and fashion designer Dwayne B. $5 cover charge.

Story League

Wednesday, July 22 from 8-10 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Brookland location)

625 Monroe St NE

Washington, D.C. 20017

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/story-league

Story League is Busboys and Poets funny-story telling competition. Anyone is invited to submit their name and ten people will be chosen at random to share their 5-minute true funny story. The winner will be determined by the audience. Pre-sale tickets only.

 

Thursday Night Open Mic Poetry hosted by E-baby

Thursday, July 23 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Hyattsville location)

5331 Baltimore Avenue

Hyattsville, MD 20781

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/thursday-night-open-mic-poetry-hosted-by-e-baby4394

The Busboys and Poets Hyattsville location presents the weekly Thursday Night Open Mic. This week will be hosted by poet and spokenword performer E-baby. $5 suggested donation.

Personal Reflections: How The Writer's Center Helped Me Get Published

By Sonja Williams

I want to testify.

I’m living proof that if you are beginning, refining, or marketing your writing project, The Writer’s Center (TWC) can help you accomplish your goals. About six years ago, I took my first TWC workshop. After enrolling in several subsequent classes, I was able to get a contract to publish my biography, Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio, and Freedom, which will come out early September 2015. 

Richard Durham’s pioneering accomplishments as a broadcast dramatist, journalist, and activist (1917–1984) grabbed my attention long before I knew TWC existed. As an experienced public radio producer, I had written and produced a radio feature about Durham and his award-winning radio dramas of the 1940s. Later, I wrote brief articles about Durham’s radio scriptwriting career, which began during the Great Depression and extended to the early 1950s in his Chicago, Illinois hometown.

But Durham’s versatile and politically outspoken writing style, along with his eventful life, was so fascinating that I decided to write a book-length account.

However, this type of writing was way out of my comfort zone. So I searched for places where I could learn from and be inspired by others with similar writing aspirations. As a result, The Writer’s Center came into focus. My first workshop was with award-winning writer C. M. Mayo. She helped participants develop or fine-tune their literary voice. 

I was hooked. What other gems did the Center offer, I wondered? 

Soon enough, I enrolled in workshops that helped me tackle grammatical pitfalls, storytelling dilemmas, and social media platforms. I even took several–yes, several–workshops about writing effective book proposals. And I gained insights from them all.  

Thankfully, my finished my book proposal was favorably received by two well-regarded academic presses. I eventually signed a contract with the University of Illinois Press and the real heavy lifting started. I slowly wrote chapter after chapter; one word, one sentence, and one painstaking paragraph at a time. 

Once again, I turned to The Writer’s Center. 

Two of the Center’s non-fiction workshops—led by established biographers David O. Stewart and Ken Ackerman—were extremely valuable. With Stewart’s and Ackerman’s insightful critiques, along with thoughtful comments from fellow workshop participants, I left each of those weekly sessions with renewed dedication and knowledge.

Currently, I remain connected to veterans of those nonfiction workshops. Each month eight writers, six of whom are TWC alums, meet to continue critiquing and supporting each other.  Several articles and two books—Cheryl LaRoche’s Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance (The University of Illinois Press, 2014) and my Word Warrior—have come out of our group. More publishing success stories are on their way; a testament to the skills we honed as The Writer's Center's workshop attendees.

So, wherever you are in your writing process, I hope that you’ll take the time to engage in and succeed as a result of The Writer’s Center experience. And I look forward to reading your testimony.

Weekly Spotlight on Local Literary Events: July 11-16

 “Writer’s on the Green Line” Series: Free Inter-generational Writers Workshop

Saturday, July 11 from 12:30-3 p.m.

CentroNia

1420 Columbia Rd. NW

Washington D.C. 20009

http://www.meetup.com/DC-Poetry-Project/events/223250495/

The D.C. Poetry Project hosts the “Writer’s on the Green Line” Series the second Saturday of every month. The series is a free inter-generational writers workshop located at CentroNia.

Literary Event: Transformations

Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

1250 New York Avenue, NW

Washington D.C. 20005

http://nmwa.org/events/literary-event-transformations

Author of Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis, Kim Todd will be at the National Museum of Women in the Arts to lecture on Maria Sibylla Merian’s trip to Surinam in 1699 and how this trip influenced her art. The program will be followed with a book sale and signing. Free admission.

Susan Coll and Frederick Pollack, Reading

Sunday, July 12 from 2-4 p.m.

The Writer’s Center

4508 Walsh Street

Bethesda, MD 20815

http://www.writer.org/page.aspx?pid=299&cid=1&ceid=1640&cerid=0&cdt=7%2f12%2f2015

The Writer’s Center hosts a weekly reading each Sunday. This Sunday will feature novelist Susan Coll and poet Frederick Pollack. Coll will be reading from her recently published novel, The Stager, a comic story of rabbits and D.C. suburbia. Pollack will read from his newest collection of poetry, A Poverty of Words, which was published this past spring. The reading will be followed by a reception and book signing. Free admission.

The Phantom Tollbooth: A Celebration of a Classic with Author Norton Juster and Bill Harley: Family Event with Film Screening and Book Signing

Sunday, July 12 at 3 p.m.

Baird Auditorium, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

10^th and Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20560

http://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?ID=232180&utm_source=CAGW&utm_medium=OAnonSI&utm_content=cagwEVMay2015&utm_campaign=CAGW&tmssource=206729

Singer-storyteller Bill Harley and Norton Juster, author of the 1961 novel The Phantom Tollbooth, and will be reflecting on the book at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The discussion will be moderated by Janice L. Kaplan who recently produced the documentary The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations. There will be a screening of the film and a book signing. Tickets for this event are $20-$25.

Joaquin Miller Poetry Series, Hiram Larew & Matthew Thorburn

Sunday, July 12^th at 3:00 pm

Rock Creek Nature Center

5200 Glover Road, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20015

http://wordworksbooks.org/miller_cabin.html#schedule

Poet Hiram Larew and poet Matthew Thorburn will be reading at the Joaquin Miller Poetry Series. If you wish to share your work, you can sign up for open reading at 2:45 p.m.

Give Me Something to Believe In: A Spiritual Poetry Program on Blogtalk Radio

Sunday, July 12 at 5 p.m.

Blogtalk Radio

http://www.meetup.com/DC-Poetry-Project/events/223368414/

The D.C. Poetry Project brings you this Blogtalk radio program featuring spiritual, motivational, reflective, or inspiring poetry. Tune in or call in to share a poem. The free call in number is (646)-716-8754.

Iota Poetry Series, Maritza Rivera & Barrett Wolf

Sunday, July 12 at 6 p.m.

Iota Bar and Restaurant

2832 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22201

http://www.wordworksdc.com/collaborations.html#iota

Poet Maritza Rivera and poet Barrett Wolf will be reading at the Iota Poetry Series. The reading will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed with open readings. The Iota Poetry Series is hosted on the second Saturday of every month. Free admission.

Dumplings: A Global Wrap and Savory Culinary History: Evening Program with Tasting and Book Signing

Monday, July 13 at 6:45 p.m.

Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20560

http://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?ID=232091&utm_source=CAGW&utm_medium=OAnonSI&utm_content=cagwEVMay2015&utm_campaign=CAGW&tmssource=206718

Explore the world of dumplings with food expert Barbara Gallini at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center. The program will include a food sampling and lecture from Gallini. She will also be signing copies of her new book Dumplings: A Global History. Tickets for this event are $30-$42.

Monday Night Open Mic Poetry hosted by 13 of Nazareth

Monday, July 13 from 8-10 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Shirlington location)

4251 South Campbell Avenue

Arlington, VA 22206

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/monday-night-open-mic-poetry-hosted-by-13-of-nazareth3113

Busboys and Poets Shirlington location’s weekly Monday night open mic features two hours of entertainment from rookie and professional performers alike. This week,s open mic will be hosted by performance poet 13 of Nazareth. $5 cover charge. 

The Garden Open Mic feat. Arvind Venugopal (hosted by Gowri K.)

Monday, July 13 from 8:30-11 p.m.

Bloombars

3222 11^th Street, NW,

Washington D.C. 20001

http://www.bloombars.com

The Garden Open Mic is a weekly variety open mic that includes anything from writing to music. The show is appropriate for all ages. This week will feature musician Arvind Venugopal and is hosted by Gowri K. Sign up list opens at 8:30 p.m. and show starts at 9 p.m. $5-10 suggested donation.

Monday Night Open Mic hosted by Joseph LMS Green

Monday, July 13 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (Brookland location)

625 Monroe St NE

Washington, D.C. 20017

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/monday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-joseph-lms-green2761

Busboys and Poets Brookland location’s weekly Monday night open mic invites local poets and performers to take the stage for a night of entertainment hosted by poet Joseph LMS Green. $5 cover charge.

Glenn Taylor, A Hanging at Cinder Bottom

Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse

5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20008

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/glenn-taylor-hanging-cinder-bottom

Author Glenn Taylor will be at Politics & Prose to discuss his third novel A Hanging at Cinder Bottom. He will converse with writer, author, and critic Bethanne Patrick.

Speakeasy DC, The Charismatic Leader: Stories about those we follow for the right & wrong reasons

Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m.

Town Danceboutique

2009 8^th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

http://speakeasydc.com/events/item/the-charismatic-leader1

Speakeasy DC hosts a storytelling open mic the second Tuesday of every month. Eight to ten first time or returning storytellers will take the stage to share a story corresponding with the theme “The Charismatic Leader,” stories about people we follow for the right or wrong reasons. If you have a story, submit your pitch to Speakeasy DC. You must be at least 21 to attend this event. Tickets for this event are $16.

Tuesday Night Open Mic hosted by Pages

Tuesday, July 14 from 9-11 p.m.

Busboys and Poets (14^th & V location)

2021 14^th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/event/tuesday-night-open-mic-hosted-by-pages3310

Busboys and Poets Tuesday open mic at their 14^th and V location invites locals to come out for a night of performance and entertainment. This week’s open mic will be hosted by artist Pages Matam. $5 cover charge.

Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe

Wednesday, July 15 at 12 p.m.

National Archives

Constitution Avenue, NW, between 7^th and 9^th Streets

Washington, D.C. 20408

http://www.archivesfoundation.org/event/potsdam-end-world-war-ii-remaking-europe/

Historian Michael Neiberg’s book Postdam: The End of the World War II and the Remaking of Europe discusses how Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin brought World War II to an end. Neiburg will be at the National Archives for a program on his new historical book and a book signing. Free admission.

Family Night Open Mic Poetry Hosted by Sista Joy Alford

Thursday, July 16 from 6-9:00 p.m.

Annie’s Art Gallery

5814 Allentown Way

Camp Springs, MD 20748

http://www.anniesartgallery.net/#!calendar

Annie’s Art Gallery will be hosting a Family Night Open Mic featuring poetry, music, and the arts. Come for an evening of entertainment or share your own work. The event will be hosted by poet Sista Joy Alford. Free admission.

Writer’s and Scholars Roundtable on Civil Rights

Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m.

National Archives

Constitution Avenue, NW, between 7^th and 9^th Streets

Washington, D.C. 20408

http://www.archivesfoundation.org/event/writers-scholars-roundtable-civil-rights/

The National Archives will be hosting a roundtable discussion on Civil Rights featuring author Taylor Branch (Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963), author Gilbert King (Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America), author Diane McWhorter (Carry Me Home), and civil rights activist and personal adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence Jones. The program will be followed with a book signing. Free admission.

Spit Dat! Open Mic

Thursday, July 16 at 9 p.m.

ECAC, 2^nd floor

733 Euclid Street, NW

Washington D.C. 20001

http://spitdat.wix.com/dc

Spit Dat! is a weekly open mic held every Thursday hosted by Drew “Droopy” Anderson and Dwayne B. $1 cover charge.

Novel Year: This is the Year You Finish, Revise, and Pitch Your Novel

Writing a novel is thrilling and daunting all at once. Workshop leader Amin Ahmad is intimately aware of all that goes into creating a novel-length piece. He has published two books thus far—The Caretaker (2013) and The Last Taxi Ride (2014), both suspense novels from St. Martin’s Press, and he is currently working on a literary novel. Fueled by his personal writing experience and inspired by similar courses at other literary centers, Ahmad is taking the lead on a new endeavor at The Writer’s Center—The Novel Year program, which will launch in September.

The program will allow ten participants to workshop their entire novel over the course of a full year. It will meet weekly during fall, winter, and spring, and more sporadically in the summer. During the summer, participants will have the opportunity for one-on-one sessions with Ahmad to address specific issues in their novels. They will be motivated by regular writing deadlines, studying aspects of craft, and creating a supportive community. In addition, they will be introduced to the publishing process and have the chance to meet experts in the industry, including literary agents. Panels of visiting writers will offer their thoughts on craft and their publishing experiences as well. Participants will be able to use the Studio at The Writer’s Center twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 

To be admitted into the program, potential candidates will need to submit a cover letter and a twenty-five page writing sample for review between July 1 and August 30. Partial scholarships will be available. Each week, the class will workshop a large portion of a student’s novel, as well as deal with a different craft issue, such as dialogue. Participants will read examples, discuss and dissect them, and then focus on their own related writing exercises. Comparing writing to other crafts, Ahmad said, “There is a big difference between reading as a reader versus reading as a writer. Like a master carpenter, you must learn how to take the writing apart and put it back together.” 

“You learn a lot by reading other people’s work in that you can return to your own work with a critical and informed eye,” said Ahmad. Developing an inner editor is the next step. “When I’m looking at my work I’m hearing the voices of my former writing teachers. It’s become part of my self-editing.”Ahmad attended courses at GrubStreet literary center in Boston, New York University, and The New School, all of which influence the way he teaches the intensive twelve-week Master Novel class at The Writer’s Center. That class has been a great success. “Students kept signing up over and over,” he said. “They got to know each other’s work and created a supportive community. They also learned a lot about the publishing industry.” Establishing a year-long workshop was the next logical step. 

Ahmad and Stewart Moss, executive director of The Writer’s Center, spent more than two years talking to other writers centers and developing the format for the Novel Year program.The program may be especially appealing to students who want to experience the rigor and structure of an M.F.A. program, but without the financial commitment and two-year time frame. And while M.F.A. programs are modeled around writing and revising short stories, Novel Year will focus exclusively on writing a novel. 

Vickie Fang was working toward her M.F.A. when she took Ahmad’s Master Novel class. “Amin shows us all respect as members of a community of writers, and he works to bring in authors and agents to discuss the paths they’ve taken. He gives a sense of having wider possibilities while still preparing us for the often grim realities of publishing.” She found his style of critique to be particularly helpful. “Although I was already attending a very good M.F.A. program that was workshop-based, Amin taught me new, more helpful ways to critique. Through the practice of critiquing other people’s work, I became much better at analyzing and revising my own. As a result, I have the tools to improve my writing when I’m not happy with it.”

This is perhaps the most important lesson writers will learn from the Novel Year. Aspiring novelists will discover how to recognize what “works” and what doesn’t in their writing and be given a set of tools, like an artisan, to fix problematic areas. This program will focus on how to develop an individualized writing process. Some make up their novels as they go along, but others use outlines, plot summaries, index cards, and other methods to structure their novels and stay on track. “It’s no longer scary when you have tools,” Ahmad said.

For pricing and detailed submission guidelines, please visit www.writer.org/novelyear.